Chapter 27: Chapter 27: Who Said She Was Here for Nathaniel?
Jasper caught Nathaniel’s expression and smiled. "Nathaniel, a friend of yours?"
In a flash, everyone turned to look at Nathaniel.
Nathaniel frowned, neither confirming nor denying. "I’m not seeing anyone."
"Now, Nathaniel, that’s not very nice of you," Jasper said with a smile, setting down his glass. He turned to the manager. "Since she’s already at our door, let her in."
Since Jasper was the guest of honor today, no one objected to his decision.
One of the wealthy heirs, a friend of Nathaniel’s, stepped forward to tease him. "Nathaniel, who is Yara? Another romantic fling you’ve picked up? You already have Noelle at home. If you’re messing around on the side, I’m going to tattle."
Nathaniel’s eyes remained cold and clear. He didn’t say a word.
Soon, the manager led the visitor inside. "Right this way, Miss Lockwood."
Estelle gave a faint smirk, pushed the private room door open, and walked in.
Perhaps curious to see what kind of woman would chase after Nathaniel, almost everyone looked toward the door.
The moment the door opened, the whole world seemed to fall silent.
THUD.
The microphone in the teasing heir’s hand dropped to the carpet. His eyes went wide. "Estelle?!"
This face looked way too much like Estelle’s!
The crowd whipped their heads toward Nathaniel. But wasn’t Estelle dead?
Unsurprised by their reaction, Estelle curled her lips into a half-smile, her gaze sweeping over Nathaniel with a hint of amusement.
What a coincidence. They were all familiar faces.
The heir who had just spoken was Kian Winslow, one of Noelle’s devoted white knights and a leading force among those who had ostracized, belittled, and mocked Estelle all those years ago.
Estelle had also met the other people in the private room a few times, to varying degrees. While they hadn’t openly mocked Nathaniel’s wife to her face, behind her back, they had always encouraged Noelle to take her place.
Didn’t Nathaniel constantly claim that he missed his ex-wife? If he truly missed her, would he still be hanging out with the very friends who had ruined his marriage?
"Nathaniel, that’s Estelle, right? She... you..." Kian stammered.
Nathaniel frowned slightly. He hadn’t seen this woman in a week. Seeing her show up here in a sexy, figure-hugging dress sent an inexplicable surge of anger rushing through him.
He strode forward. "Who gave you permission to come looking for me?"
Estelle turned her head, acting as if she had only just noticed him. "Mr. Sloan is here too?" she asked in feigned surprise.
Nathaniel’s brow furrowed deeper. He didn’t know what kind of trick this woman was playing, but for some reason, he didn’t want the others ogling her sexy outfit. He instinctively stepped in to block their view of her. "Go home."
Estelle took a step back, her tone laced with undisguised disgust, looking eager to distance herself from him. "Mr. Sloan, try not to be so full of yourself."
Before Nathaniel could say another word, she put on a bright smile, turned around, and brushed right past him to greet the man sitting behind him.
"Hello, Mr. Kingston. I’m Yara. Hearing of your return to the country, I came specifically to pay my respects on behalf of Star Group."
Nathaniel’s face instantly darkened.
Jasper maintained his gentle, refined demeanor. "Ah, so it’s Miss Lockwood from Star. A pleasure to meet you. Weren’t you here to see Nathaniel?"
Estelle looked surprised. "Of course not. What charm does Nathaniel Sloan have that would make me seek him out in the middle of the night? I’m here to see you, Mr. Kingston."
The silence in the private room was deafening.
The singing stopped. The drinking ceased. Everyone just stared blankly at Estelle.
This woman was way too bold! Everyone knew that Nathaniel was the dream lover of every young woman in Crestfall. Yet this Yara not only completely disrespected Nathaniel, but she also boldly claimed he couldn’t compare to Jasper.
While Jasper was certainly no slouch, wasn’t saying something like that a blatant slap in the face to Nathaniel?
Acting as if she hadn’t noticed the tension, Estelle clicked her heels over to the sofa and sat down, crossing her slender, pale legs. Quite a few men in the room audibly gulped.
The fiery glint in Nathaniel’s eyes grew even more intense.
In the corner, someone whispered, "Damn, is that really not Estelle?"
"Young Mr. Winslow, you’ve seen Estelle the most. Do you think that woman is her?"
"She’s been dead for five years. Can the dead come back to life?"
"But you never know. What if she didn’t actually die back then? If she’s back, what’s Noelle going to do?"
"Shut up, all of you," Kian interrupted, a calculating gleam flashing in his eyes. "We’ll know if we test her, won’t we? Estelle was a terrible lightweight. Go get her drunk."
On the other side of the room, Estelle picked up a wine glass, her eyes sparkling. "Mr. Kingston, we’ll be signing our partnership agreement tomorrow. From now on, we’re all friends. Come, let me toast you."
She flushed easily when she drank, but it wasn’t an exaggerated redness; instead, a faint, rosy pink dusted her cheeks, and her eyes grew slightly misty.
She looked even more radiant and captivating than before.
Many of the onlookers were completely mesmerized.
Nathaniel’s expression grew even darker.
"Miss Lockwood is going to work with Jasper? Then shouldn’t you also toast us, Jasper’s friends?" Kian suddenly chimed in with ill intent.
Estelle narrowed her eyes. Why was Noelle’s white knight still so stupid? Did he really think that just because she couldn’t handle her liquor five years ago, the Yara of today would be the same?
Taking a glass of red wine from a nearby waiter, Estelle let her gaze drift over the group. "Mr. Kingston, are these all your friends? Do you think I should toast them?"
Jasper kept a gentle smile on his face and turned his head helplessly. "What do you think, Nathaniel?"
For some reason, a surge of fury welled up inside Nathaniel. At a nightclub, all by herself, drinking, and even pretending not to know him. Every single thing about this situation made his blood boil.
Fine, he wanted to see just how long this woman could keep up her act!
"Miss Lockwood is nothing to me. There’s no need to ask for my opinion."
Kian immediately spoke up. "Since both Jasper and Nathaniel don’t mind, what do you say, Miss Lockwood? Are you going to drink? You know, we all have our own hostesses when we come here to play. Someone like you, Miss Lockwood, would actually be quite suited for this profession."
Estelle curled her lips into a smile, tilted her head back, and downed the glass in one gulp.
As the liquid slid down her throat, leaving a spicy burn in its wake, her eyes grew even hazier. Nathaniel’s Adam’s apple bobbed.
After finishing her drink, Estelle pulled a thick wad of cash from her purse and shoved it into the hands of the male host who had just poured her wine. "Young Mr. Winslow, whoever else wants a toast, bring it on."
Having received such a generous tip, the male host became even more attentive, whispering softly, "Please drink slowly, miss."
Estelle downed another glass and handed out another wad of cash.
The other hosts and hostesses couldn’t sit still any longer. Even the hostess next to Kian ran over to Estelle and began massaging her legs. "Miss Lockwood, I can pour wine too! Please, look at me."
Yara was very satisfied and gave her a stack of cash as well.
Instantly, everyone clustered around Estelle. Even Kian and his lackeys looked as though they were just there to entertain her.
Estelle gave a half-smile. "Mr. Winslow, take a look. Who looks more like the hosts now?"